Prunus persica/Clingstone Peach Tree.
cv. xe2x80x98Goodwinxe2x80x99.
The new clingstone peach cultivar was created at Davis, Calif., U.S.A., in 1983 as part of a breeding program of the University of California for the development of improved processing peaches. During the course of the breeding program that yielded the new cultivar of the present invention, many seedlings were developed and evaluated. An objective of the program was to develop a superior replacement cultivar for the early-maturity xe2x80x98Dixonxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivars (both non-patented in the United States). The xe2x80x98Dixonxe2x80x99 cultivar originated at Linden, Calif., U.S.A., and was introduced during 1956. Trees of this cultivar are recognized to be highly productive and yield yellow-gold fruit that commonly displays a pink to red coloration at the pit area that is attributable to the formation of anthocyanins. The red coloration often oxidizes to brown when canned and thereby provides less than optimum fruit color as well as an undesirable brown staining of the canned syrup. Additionally, the red-stained stone or endocarp of the xe2x80x98Dixonxe2x80x99 cultivar tends to be prone to breakage during processing and sometimes imparts unwanted pit fragments to the fruit flesh that are difficult to remove.
The xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar originated at the University of California at Davis, Calif., U.S.A., and was introduced in 1964. Trees of the xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar consistently set heavy crops, have leaves with globose glands, and flowers of the large non-showy type. The xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar also produces fruit having red-staining of the pit area and unwanted higher frequencies of stone or endocarp fragments in the processed fruit flesh.
The female parent (i.e., seed parent) of the new cultivar was a University of California processing peach breeding line named xe2x80x9811, 11-37xe2x80x99 (non-patented in the United States). The male parent (i.e., pollen parent) of the new cultivar was the xe2x80x98Dr. Davisxe2x80x99 cultivar (non-patented in the United States). The parentage of the new cultivar of the present invention can be summarized as follows:
xe2x80x9811, 11-37xe2x80x99xc3x97xe2x80x98Dr. Davisxe2x80x99. 
Four seedlings from this cross were recovered in 1984, and have been carefully studied and evaluated thereafter. The new cultivar was selected from among these and was designated xe2x80x98R, 7-5xe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Early #3xe2x80x99.
It was found that the new clingstone peach cultivar of the present invention:
(a) Exhibits an upright-spreading growth habit,
(b) Forms medium-sized non-showy pink flowers,
(c) Forms attractive fruit having uniform yellow flesh that is free from red staining at the pit cavity,
(d) Ripens approximately four days earlier than the xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar (non-patented in the United States), and
(e) Is particularly well suited for processing.
The new cultivar of the present invention can be readily distinguished from its xe2x80x9811, 11-37xe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Dr. Davisxe2x80x99 parental cultivars. More specifically, the xe2x80x9811, 11-37xe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Dr. Davisxe2x80x99 cultivars commonly ripen at approximately the same time and approximately 10 to 14 days after the new cultivar of the present invention. Also, the fruit of the new cultivar commonly displays a slightly asymmetrical shape with a noticeable bulging at the suture area. In contrast, the fruit of the xe2x80x9811, 11-37xe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Dr. Davisxe2x80x99 cultivars is characteristically symmetrical in shape.
The new cultivar has been asexually propagated at Davis, Calif.; Winters, Calif.; and Parlier, Calif. U.S.A., by grafting on xe2x80x98Nemaredxe2x80x99 peach rootstock (non-patented in the United States). Such propagation has confirmed that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reliably transmitted to subsequent generations.
The new cultivar of the present invention is considered to offer superior characteristics when compared to the previously-available early-maturity processing peach cultivars xe2x80x98Dixonxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99. Unlike these cultivars, the new cultivar is free from red staining at the pit cavity. The fruit flesh is bright yellow to yellow-gold and the fruit color, flavor and texture have been rated superior to the xe2x80x98Dixonxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivars. The fruit skin is slightly less pubescent than that of the xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar with a more uniform golden-yellow color. The pit size is medium to slightly below average. Some split pits occur during high crop years however at a lower rate than the xe2x80x98Dixonxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivars. The crop yield for the new cultivar appears to average and somewhat lower than that of the xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar thus commonly requiring less thinning following a high-chill winter. The fruit hangers are similar to those of the xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar and a bit denser. The leaves are medium to dark green and similar in size to those of the xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar. Unlike the xe2x80x98Androssxe2x80x99 cultivar, reniform leaf glands are present. The flowers of new cultivar are pink and non-showy.
The new cultivar of the present invention has been tested in plantings at Davis, Calif.; Winters, Calif.; and Parlier, Calif., U.S.A.
Wood of the new cultivar has been subjected to the virus indexing program of Foundation Plant Materials Service, University of California at Davis, Calif., U.S.A. All indices have proven to be negative for viruses for foundation trees of this genotype being maintained by such Foundation Plant Materials Service.
The new cultivar of the present invention has been named xe2x80x98Goodwinxe2x80x99.